* In Q3, global Model S orders increased by more than 50% from a year ago, and grew at a faster pace in North America, Europe and Asia, than during Q2
* The Model X electric SUV was launched.
In addition to the unique falcon wing doors that improve vehicle access and a panoramic windshield that transforms the interior of the cabin, our internal crash testing shows that Model X should receive the best ever safety ratings for an SUV. Model X also has ludicrously fast acceleration and hospital-grade cabin air quality – all in a vehicle with an estimated EPA single charge range of up to 257 miles for the 90kWh pack option
Version 7.0 software released over the air in October has delivered a significant visual update to the digital displays of the entire Model S fleet. The release also enabled Autopilot on about 40,000 Model S and Model X vehicles globally, giving these cars the ability to steer within a lane, change lanes with a tap of a turn signal and parallel park autonomously. Autopilot also reduces front and side collision risk and helps keep the car on the road should the driver become distracted.
Thousands of Autopilot-equipped Tesla vehicles are gathering over one million miles of driving data per day. Tesla Motors can then analyze this data and feed it back to the fleet to continually improve our customers’ driving experiences. Autopilot is so advanced and unique that test drive requests from prospective customers have increased significantly since its introduction. To manage this volume of requests efficiently, consumers can now schedule their own test drives online, representing another industry-first by Tesla
Tesla Energy Production Begins at the Gigafactory
They began production of Tesla Energy products in Q3 at our Fremont factory, with a long-term plan to shift production to the Gigafactory. Faced with growing demand for Powerpacks and Powerwalls, they have accelerated their plans to expand manufacturing capacity. In early Q4, they relocated production from Fremont to an automated assembly line at the Gigafactory.
This positions them for strong growth in 2016, but the Gigafactory pull-ahead will push some Tesla Energy Q4 production and deliveries into Q1.
They have also accelerated plans to begin cell production for Tesla Energy products at the Gigafactory by the end of 2016. This is several quarters ahead of our initial plan.
In Q4, they plan to build 15,000 to 17,000 vehicles, and deliver 17,000 to 19,000 vehicles, which will result in 50,000 to 52,000 total deliveries for the year
They remain highly confident of average production and deliveries of 1,600 to 1,800 vehicles per week for Model S and Model X combined during 2016. This would be 60-80% more cars in 2016 over 2015.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.